Miami Herald Publishing Co. v. Tornillo

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Miami Herald Publishing Co. v. Pat Tornillo

Argued April 17, 1974
Decided June 25, 1974

Full case name:	Miami Herald Publishing Company, Division of Knight Newspapers, Incorporated v. Tornillo

Citations:	418 U.S. 241; 94 S. Ct. 2831; 41 L. Ed. 2d 730; 1974 U.S. LEXIS 86; 1 Media L. Rep. 1898

Prior history:	Appeal from the Supreme Court of Florida

Holding

The Court overturned a Florida state law requiring newspapers to allow equal access to political candidates in the case of a political editorial or endorsement content.

Court membership

Chief Justice: Warren E. Burger
Associate Justices: William O. Douglas, William J. Brennan, Jr., Potter Stewart, Byron White, Thurgood Marshall, Harry Blackmun, Lewis F. Powell, Jr., William Rehnquist

Case opinions

Majority by: Burger
Joined by: unanimous
Concurrence by: Brennan
Joined by: Rehnquist
Concurrence by: White

Laws applied

U.S. Const. amend. I

Miami Herald Publishing Co. v. Tornillo, 418 U.S. 241 (1974), was a United States Supreme Court case that overturned a Florida state law requiring newspapers to allow equal access to political candidates in the case of a political editorial or endorsement content. In effect, it reaffirmed the constitutional principle of freedom of the press (detailed in the First Amendment) and prevented state governments from controlling the content of the press. It represents the medium with the most Constitutional protection, while Red Lion Broadcasting Co. v. FCC represents the medium with the least protection: broadcast TV and radio.